The Letter
by WizardDemigodGladerGatekeeper
Summary: He was simply lying in a cot, wondering what the night sky looked like, when Kyra came with a certain letter, and a note from WICKED, which refreshed memories of a certain friend. Because no matter what he ever said, Lee would never leave their hearts. (A three-shot epilogue to Darkness. Started as a one-shot. Turned into this. I'd advise reading this if you've read Darkness)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I know, I know, y'all probably hate me for writing this instead of updating my story, but the thing is, I've been wanting to write this, and though I don't have either the energy or time to think of and write another chapter of either of my stories, I present you with this. An epilogue to Darkness, a story which resides in the deepest corners of my heart.**

 **Aidan and Lee and Kyra were my first OCs. They were my debut to this website. And now, though my new stories have gotten more hits than them, they'll never truly leave my heart.**

 **Now, for anyone out there reading this who hasnt read the last chapter of Darkness, Aidan is alive. And he lives with Kyra and the rest of the Gladers in an epic kick butt place called Paradise. Which is where they went after after they esacaped the maze. Any auesions on how Aidan's alive, well, the bullet hit his collarbone and he was ina coma for Five months and WICKED cured him and sent him and the other Gladers to a place called Paradise. This doesnt have any spoilers for Death Cure, so feel safe reading this.**

 **Moving on...**

 **ENJOY! :)**

 **~.~.~.~.**

 **Aidan:**

I let out a breath. Even though I couldn't see it, I knew it was nighttime here in Paradise. I lay in my cot, fingering the rough material beneath me. I really wanted to see the stars that I was told dotted the night sky in beautiful patterns, but all I saw was darkness. I blinked, wondering for a second whether when I opened my eyes, magically, everything would appear once again. I would be able to see the stars, I would know how pretty my sister is, I would know how beautiful Paradise was. No such luck. It didn't matter whether I closed my eyes or opened them. I only knew darkness.

I felt someone slide into the cot beside me. I knew without asking who it was. I tilted my head in their direction and smiled. "Hey Ky." I reached out with my hand and felt Kyra's hand resting beside my head. "Hey Turnip." I could almost hear her smile in my sister's words.

I pushed myself back and lifted my head, to bring it down on Kyra's thigh. She settled my head into a more comfortable position, and laughed. "Why in the world are you up here, Danny?" Kyra asked. Recently, my full name, Aidan, had been thrown into the garbage, and the nickname 'Danny' was adopted. I had no idea who'd come up with it, but it stuck all the same. I shrugged.

"I dunno. I just like the feeling, I suppose. Open skies, no worries." I paused, and smiled. "Actually, I think I do know why I come up here. This place reminds me a bit of the Glade. Open skies, though I'd think the worries were very much present in that place. It makes me a bit nostalgic, I think."

Kyra stroked my forehead, brushing my supposed blond bangs out of my eyes. I'd been told that I had blond hair and green eyes, but I couldn't confirm the claims. But somehow, I didn't think twenty people would lie about my appearance.

"Why would you want to remember the Glade?" Kyra asked, her tone slightly confused. I laughed, but it was tinged with bitterness. "Thought that'd be a wee bit obvious, don't you think? That was the last time I'd been with Lee."

Silence. Kyra wouldn't respond to what I'd just said, but honestly, I didn't think she could. I knew we all missed Lee, but I probably missed her most of all. She'd not only been my best friend, but something of a twin sister. Kyra was the best sister someone could ask for, of course. But Lee was irreplaceable. I remembered that one night in the Glade, when Thomas and Minho'd been stuck in the maze, and Lee had insisted on sleeping in front of the doors. I'd slept beside her, and we'd pretended to be asleep until Kyra and Newt left us alone, but we hadn't really been asleep. We'd gotten up minutes later and simply sat there for about another hour or two, silently. That had probably been the longest while I'd seen Lee go silent.

Now, though, I missed hearing her voice. Her stupid yet snarky jokes, her strange way of making people laugh even in the most serious of situations. I recalled the last thing she'd ever said to me.

'I'm sorry Aidan…'

Those words had been imprinted on my brain. I could feel Lee's cold and lifeless face on the tip of my fingertips. I could hear Thomas' cries as his sister slowly died in his arms. I could hear the sobs of the rest of the Gladers as we lost a brave comrade. But most of all, I could hear Lee's breathing cease, as my best friend left my side forever.

I closed my eyes, coming out of my reverie. I wasn't going to cry, I didn't have any tears left. And besides, I had a feeling Lee wouldn't have appreciated me becoming a bawling mess thinking about her.

"Why're you here, Ky? You came looking for me?" I asked. Kyra waited for another moment before answering.

"Yeah. Um, the thing is, Danny… well, it's just that… I mean…" She stuttered awkwardly. I laughed again. "Goodness Ky. Out with it. Why'd you come here?" I asked. Kyra took a breath.

"We found something we'd like you to, ah, _acknowledge_." She said. I noticed how she carefully avoided using the word 'see'. I nodded. "Right then, what is it?"

"Well, Newt and I were cleaning up the attic and- why're you smirking?" she asked, sounding a bit flustered. "Oh nothing." I said, not letting the smirk fall. "So, you and Newt…?"

"Oh shut up Danny." Kyra said, exasperated. She'd gotten used to it though. Minho and I had made it our living goal, teasing Kyra and Newt. Minho told me the two of them turned inhumane shades of red when we did.

"So, yeah, Newt and I were cleaning up the attic, and we found this. It's a letter. A note was there with it, a note from WICKED." She added. I nodded, waiting for her to continue. "Who's it from?" I asked, when I noticed she didn't. Another pause. "Kyra, I asked you something. Who's the letter from?" I prodded, using her full name to let her know I wanted an answer.

"Lee."

I sucked in a breath and felt my mind go for a roll. Suddenly, breathing became a little difficult. I wasn't all that sure I'd heard her correctly. I tried to speak, but no words would come out. I seemed to have lost my voice.

"Aidan, she wrote this before you guys came into the maze."

And just like that, the tiny sliver of hope that had appeared in my chest disappeared. Squashed, like an insect under Kyra's words. My breathing had become slightly erratic, but I forced myself calm down. I was on the verge of hyperventilating, but I cleared my mind. I took in a deep breath, then let it out. Another one. A third.

"Aidan, I know what this sounds like, to you. WICKED's note said Lee'd written this the night before you guys were sent into the maze. She'd wanted this to be delivered to you when and if you ever made it out of the maze, regardless of the fact of whether she was alive or not. I didn't read it; none of us did. You should be the first one to do so." Kyra spoke again.

By now I'd become somewhat normal. My heart was somewhere near my knees, sure. For a moment, I'd harbored the idea that my best friend might still have been alive, and had written a letter to me saying "HAHA SUCKER!" but of course, I should've known my luck wouldn't hold.

"Read it." I said, my voice around an octave higher than usual. I heard the crumble of paper, and knew Kyra was unfolding the letter. She cleared her throat, but paused yet again. "You sure?" she asked. I nodded. I was ready. If this was the last memoir I had of Lee, I wanted to hear it.

Kyra began.

"Dear Aidan. Bro, I really don't know how to start this. I mean, I vaguely recall something they taught in out class about writing letters to friends, but honestly, it's me writing the letter here. If you think for a second that I remember a word of those classes, you're dead wrong. I'd probably been throwing paintballs at the back of Tim's head."

"But moving onto the actual letter which I'm taking the excruciating pain of writing here, if you're hearing this, and I'm not the one reading this out to you, I'm either dead or have been abducted by evil aliens and taken to another planet. My money's on the former. I don't really know why I'm writing this letter to you, but I wanted you to know how thankful I am for having a friend like you. I asked Tommy how I could tell you that without making it awkward and strange, and he suggested a letter. So, here I sit, writing this to you in what I can only describe as atrocious handwriting. My apologies to whoever's reading this out to him, unless it's me. If it's me, I'm apologizing to myself and basically sounding like a retard."

"Um, sorry. Wavered a bit off topic there. I just want you to know, Aidan, that if there's one talent I have, it's picking the right friends. I mean, it had to have taken some talent to have tolerated me all these years. I don't think I'll be able to say thank you enough times for that. You put up with me all through my tantrums, you bore with my quirks. And for that, I thank you."

"Do you remember that time we'd gone fishing from the tenth floor of WICKED headquarters? Man, that had probably been the best day of my life. Sure, we hadn't caught any fish, but taking into consideration the fact that we'd been fishing at a height of at least ten stories off the ground, I'd have frankly been surprised if we had caught any. But that's just one example in a few billion of how you managed to stick with me all through my strange plans."

"Any person of sane mind would've kept their distance from a weird girl whose only defense is sarcasm. Therefore, I certify you insane. If there's a God above, there's just one thing I always ask of him. Tommy always tells me that if you pray for something hard enough, you get it. Well, I always trust Tommy in these matters, so I've been praying for one thing for the last few months. That our friendship never ends. I know, I know. Cheesy. But hey, I'm allowed cheesy wishes, right? Even if I'm dead and not the one reading this to you right now, I think my wish was fulfilled, because though I don't know of the cause of my death, I can guarantee that you and I were best friends till the end."

"Aidan, this is literally the most serious thing I've ever written, not to mention longest. But not enough papers and not enough words will encompass the feeling of gratitude I bear you. I don't think I could've ever gotten a better friend, and I honestly don't think I deserve one as good as you. Heck, I'm glad friends didn't come with price tags, because I'd probably end up broke trying to afford one as good as you. So, I write this letter to thank you. Thank you Aidan for putting up with my strange mannerisms and quirks. Thank you Aidan for never leaving my side, even when just about everyone else said I was wrong. Thank you Aidan for being with me no matter what I did, no matter how crazy I was in doing it. But thank you most of all, for being the greatest friend I could have ever had."

"Like I said before, if I'm not the one reading this to you, it probably means I'm dead. If so, try to imagine a black sea of nothingness, dotted with white spots. That's the night sky. Tommy once told me that if we die, we become stars. And since I'm probably a star now, I'm going to be looking down at whoever's reading this to you and be smiling, because this means you're out of the maze and alive. Now, try to imagine one star amongst all those stars shining really really bright. That one's probably me."

"I think I'll end this letter now, and let the person reading this have a break (if it's me, go me, have a glass of water). I don't know if this letter was corny or good, but I've written this from my heart, and don't think I could've put it any better. So once again, Aidan, thank you for being my friend. I hope your time in Paradise is going well."

"P.S: Imagine the prettiest thing you've ever imagined. That's probably what the sun looks like."

I felt the tears stinging my eyes. Kyra's voice was bleak. I heard a sniff, and knew she'd been reduced to tears as well. I reached up and felt for her face. When I felt her wet cheeks, I slowly wiped off the tears. I let a small smile cross my features. "That's Lee for ya'" I said.

Lee's letter had opened another void in my heart, but strangely, I felt a little free. It felt as though I still had a part of Lee with me. I wasn't saddened by this letter, no. This had given me a tiny part of my best friend back. I closed my eyes and laughed.

"Well then, Kyra, I guess the sun looks a lot like you, right?" I asked my sister. She let out a small "Aww," and a laugh before placing her lips gently against my forehead. I smiled up at her and snuggled closer. I took her hand in mine and held it against my cheek. "Kyra, do you see a star up there shining brighter than the others?" I asked. Suddenly, it felt as though I was three years old again. Kyra waited for a heartbeat before answering.

"Yeah, there is. It's directly overhead." She said. I grinned towards the sky. Even though I knew I couldn't see it, I hoped that star was Lee. And that somewhere up there, Lee was smiling down at me too.

I closed my eyes, even though it made no difference. I took the letter from Kyra's hand and held it close to me, feeling the paper in my hands. My mind wandered to Lee's words in the paper. I smiled.

Suddenly, I sat bolt upright. Kyra gasped at the same moment. "Aidan…" she breathed. My eyes were wide. For the second time that night, I found breathing a little difficult. A certain thing Lee said in the letter repeated itself in my mind. I found myself unable to respond to Kyra's words. But even though I didn't reply, I knew she was thinking exactly what I was.

If Lee really was dead, how could she know anything about us being in Paradise?

~.~.~.~.~.~.

 **A/N: Did I just…?**

 **Yes, I did.**

 **Am I really that mean?**

 **Yeah, I probably am.**

 **BUT SERIOUSLY, YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME, PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!**

 **So, yeah, I know, A cliffhanger ending for a one-shot. You can blame Uncle Rick for that, he showed me that cliffies are extremely cool to write. But I figured you guys should've gotten something for all the support you showed me for Darkness. So, here it was. A nice little piece about our favorite thirteen-year-old. Hope you guys liked it! Leave a comment, if you feel up to it! The review button's just down there! Once again, thank you for all the support and awesomeness you guys showed for this story. Hope this was good!**

 **A Fellow Glader.**


	2. Chapter 2

"My god…" Kyra breathed. I leapt out of bed, and stumbled slightly, but was quickly readied when Kyra wrapped her hands around my arms. I didn't bother thanking her. "We need to go see Thomas and the others!" I exclaimed. This wasn't possible. There wasn't any possible way Lee could have known we were in Paradise. This had never been discussed before the Maze trials, so she couldn't have known it then.

I couldn't wrap my mind around it. The mere thought seemed so bizarre. Lee was dead; sure, I hadn't seen her die, but I knew she was dead. Then how in the name of God could she possibly have known this?

I hadn't even realized we'd broken into a run, Kyra dragging me forward. We stopped suddenly, and carefully made our way down the stairs. "NEWT! THOMAS! MINHO!" Kyra yelled. I barely set foot on the ground, when Kyra yanked me forward, leading me to assume we'd reached the bottom.

My mind was on overdrive. This couldn't be… this couldn't possibly be. Yet, it seemed like the only logical explanation. But the only thing that contradicted my theory was the fact that almost everyone I knew had seen Lee die. We'd left her body in the Griever hole, and even if she hadn't been dead when we'd left her, she would have surely died from blood loss.

I was quite possibly over thinking things, but that didn't mean we wouldn't tell the others.

 **Kyra:**

I had a feeling I was pulling on Danny's hand a bit too hard, but I couldn't get myself to care. I needed to show this letter to Thomas. If there was even the slightest chance…

I threw open a door to see the three boys inside, sitting on a bed and playing cards. My expression must've looked pretty dire, because Newt tossed his cards onto the bed and ran to my side. I was panting heavily, and behind me, I could hear Danny do the same.

"Kyra, what is it? Why're you so…" Newt didn't finish his statement. I let go of Danny's hand and thrust the letter into Thomas'. He gave me a bewildered look. "Yeah, I know, the letter was written by Lee before she came into the Maze. What about it?" he asked, confused.

"Read… last… line…" I panted, out of breath. He opened the letter and started skimming to the last line. As his eyes slowly travelled over it, they widened. His grip on the paper loosened, and it flew out of his hands, only to be caught by Minho. The Asian boy looked at what had troubled us so much, but evidently found nothing.

"I hope your time in Paradise is going well. What's so wrong in that? It's just-" He was cut off by a gasp from Newt. The latter turned me to face him, his eyes wide. "Kyra, are you thinking what I am?" he asked. I nodded. I had a fair idea that Newt was thinking the same thing I was. Minho threw his hands in the air out of sheer frustration. "Alright, will somebody please explain to me what the hell is going on?"

"Lee died before we escaped the maze. There's no possible way that she could know about Paradise." Danny said, finally having found his voice. Thomas was still staring at the ground, but at Danny's words, he looked up. "But I saw her…"

"Die?" I raised an eyebrow, "Yeah, Thomas. We all did. But then, how do you explain that?" I gestured towards the letter. He shook his head and buried his face in his hands. "I don't know…" he managed, his voice small.

Suddenly, as though things couldn't possibly get any stranger, the phone on Thomas' bedside rang. Newt shot a glance at Thomas' state and walked over to it himself. He picked it up and spoke into the receiver. "Hello?"

After a heartbeat, he gasped. He reached out and clutched the bedside for support. "No… How do you know the number?" Not being able to fit all this stuff into my mind, I snatched the receiver and spoke for myself.

"Hello?"

"Oh, Kyra, pleasure. I hope you recognize me?" a female voice said from the other end. I didn't respond. That couldn't be who I thought it was, could it? "No? Oh well, I didn't think you'd forget me so soon. I'm Ava Paige, Director of WICKED."

I gulped. Everyone was staring at me with shocked expressions. I brought the phone away from my ear and pressed the speaker button. "Yes Doctor Paige? What do you want? How'd you get our number?" I asked in a shaky voice. A kind laugh came from the other end.

"Dear, I think you forget. We're the ones who sent you to Paradise in the first place. Give my greetings to the others, would you?" She said. By now, one could've heard a pin drop in the room. Paige took that as a cue to continue. "Right then. The reason I called is because we need you back at headquarters. Now, before you panic, no, it's not because of the trials. It has nothing to do with the trials." I'd almost dropped the phone on hearing her words, but steadied myself. "Why?" I asked simply.

"That's something I can tell you face to face. Dear, trust me. We have given you the good life you lead now. We don't want to harm you in any way. Trust me. As to how you'll get here, in a few moments, a Flat Trans will appear on the wall of Thomas' bedroom. I want you, Aidan and Thomas to step through it. Once again, this is completely your choice. You may choose to ignore me. However, please think about it. We don't want to harm you. If anything, we want to help you."

Click.

The line went dead. I could feel my jaw hanging open. I slowly set the receiver down and looked at the others. Minho was the first to recover. "Uh, so? They did help us after all. They saved Danny. You think they want to hurt us now? It doesn't make sense if they do. I say you guys should go."

"Minho, we can't be so rash about this. We should think this through. I don't want any of them to get hurt." Newt put in. His eyebrows were furrowed together and he seemed deep in thought.

"I agree with Minho." I heard Danny's voice. All of us turned to look at him. "You do?" I asked. He nodded. "WICKED saved my life. That's something I'll never be able to repay. And they wouldn't want to hurt us after going through all that to save us, would they? You know WICKED's changed. Ava wouldn't do this." He said. He stood up straight. "I'm going."

Well, that settled it. There was no way in hell that I would let Danny go alone. "I guess I'm going too." I said. Everyone looked at Thomas. The boy shrugged. "Count me in. If anything, we can ask her about the letter. Maybe she knows something."

Almost as if on cue, beside Thomas, a section of the wall turned into a gray shimmering substance. "Well, there it is. If you guys are really gonna do this, you do it now." Newt said. He seemed a little reluctant, but nevertheless, he was ready to let us go. I took Danny's hand and looked at Thomas. "Ready?" I asked. He nodded.

We stepped through.

~.~.~.~.~.

On the other side, we found ourselves in a familiar white room. In front of us, at a white table, Ava Paige sat with a kind smile on her face. "I knew you children would come. Thank you for trusting us." She said.

"Why did you want us here?" I asked. Thomas didn't allow her to answer. "How did Lee know about us being in Paradise?" He burst out. She held up her hands, letting out a small laugh.

"Okay, okay, one question at a time. Thomas, please understand the priorities. The reason why I have called you here is none other than Aidan himself."

I hadn't thought this night could've gotten any stranger, but it just did. "What did Aidan do?" I asked, suddenly defensive of my brother. Ava smiled. "Oh it's not something he did. It's something we want to do to him." At my appalled expression, she took a deep breath.

"We may be able to help your brother."

I had had enough. I walked up and slammed my hand against the table top, startling her. "Enough with the riddles! What do you mean, help him!? There's nothing wrong with Aidan!" I yelled. Paige, though initially shocked, looked me in the eye and said "Really? What if I told you we could cure the one flaw he has?" she said in a soft voice.

My eyes shot wide and I stumbled back. This couldn't be true… "You mean…" I couldn't finish my statement. I couldn't get myself to believe it. She nodded slowly. "Yes."

"Aidan may be cured of his blindness."

At her words, Danny collapsed. Thomas caught him, and looked at Paige. "What!?" He exclaimed. She nodded once again. "You heard me correct. He may be able to see."

"No…" Danny's voice was so shaky, I was afraid it would break. "You don't mean that…"

Paige smiled. "Fortunately, Aidan, I do. Isn't this what you've always wanted?" she smiled so softly in his direction, one would have thought he was her own son. Thomas and I had a little trouble peeling our eyes away from her. "Uh…. Elaboration, mind?" I managed to throw out. Paige turned to me.

"Yes, I do think that is in queue." She motioned towards the chairs. "Please, have a seat." None of us sat. Danny seemed like he was a hair's step away from collapsing; Thomas was practically holding him up. Paige didn't seem to mind. "I'm sure you either think I'm lying, or am crazy. But it's the truth. Have you ever heard of the term organ transplant?" She paused while we caught out breaths. She nodded. "Yes, you heard me correct. You see, one of our researchers is very ill. However, their eyes are perfectly fine. This was their decision. Oh and before you ask, they demand that their identity remain confidential until after the surgery."

My eyes widened. The only one who's care enough about Aidan to donate their eyes would be Aris. Yet I somehow couldn't get myself to believe it. How could it be? "Wait so you mean," I started, unsure of what I was hearing, "someone's going to donate their _eyes_ to Aidan? Is that even possible?"

Paige nodded. "It is very much so. The surgery will take a while, but we have skilled doctors. If you place your trust in us, I assure you, we will not disappoint. All you need to do is trust us."

I looked at Thomas. He seemed shell-shocked. I'm pretty sure I looked the same. I couldn't find my voice. I'd trusted WICKED enough to let them help us, but did I trust them with Aidan? Strangely, it was Aidan who spoke.

"I'm ready."

"What!?" I exclaimed. "Aidan, are you sure?" Thomas asked. My brother nodded. "Kyra, I have nothing to lose. Even if they mess up, my state can't possibly be worse than now. I can't go more blind. At worst, nothing will happen. At best, I may finally be able to see the world." He turned to Paige. "I'm ready for the surgery."

Paige nodded and stood up. "Very well. Come right this way, Aidan. I'm afraid the preparations will take quite a while."

Aidan started to walk forward, but I reached out and grabbed his hand. "Danny, you sure? This is awfully dangerous." I warned. Aidan smiled towards the ground and nodded. "If someone's selfless enough to give me their eyes, I won't deny them."

And with that, he walked towards Paige and the two of them headed out the door, leaving me shaking with anticipation.

~.~.~.~.~.

 **Aidan:**

Darkness.

That's all I saw.

It engulfed me like a torrent of oblivion. I'd never felt like this before. Sure, my entire life had been filled with darkness, but I had deciphered my surroundings using my other senses. Now, I just felt numb, as though I had become detached from my very being. I tried moving my head, I tried yelling. Nothing. I couldn't move, I couldn't speak.

Then, like a silver lining had just appeared, everything around me seemed to fall into place. It was slow, and it was gradual, but I would grasp at anything that would get me out of this never-ending abyss of the unknown.

I gasped loudly and grabbed the first thing I could. The bare surface of my palms felt the cool metal slide underneath them. I was sweating; my clothes clung to my body, making me shiver despite the perspiration. I opened my mouth once more, but fighting my impulse, all I did was breathe. My lungs were gasping for air, and I was readily offering them some. The inside of my throat felt dry and charred.

Vaguely, I was aware of someone yelling my name. A girl. "Danny! Danny look at me! Danny come on, say something!" She seemed to be saying. I gasped again, but this time, it felt as though my body had cleared its oxygen debt. Slowly, I forced my breathing to become regular. I stopped thrashing and gripped the bars beside me like they were my lifeline.

Where was I?

That's when it all came crashing down on me. The operation. I froze, unable to move. Was this some complication that had risen? What was going on? Was this the after effect of the operation? And if it was, did that mean the operation was over? That I could…

"Aidan! Aidan answer me!" I heard a boy's voice. Someone in the background was barking orders. These people sounded really concerned. "Aidan come on mate, you're not dying on us!" the boy demanded. Thomas. Thomas was screaming these words at me. The girl had been Kyra. My sister.

I parted my lips, but all that came out was a squeak. I took a breath and forced myself to be calm. I was alive. And I, despite the fact that a few seconds ago, I felt deprived of the very ability to breathe, seemed fine. I had my limbs. I hopefully had my face and hair. I didn't feel pain, I just felt numb.

"Thomas…" I croaked out. I heard a laugh escape him. Strong arms wrapped around my torso as Thomas pulled me into a hug. "Man you had us scared!" he said into my shoulder. "Can't breathe…" I choked out. Thomas pulled away. I could almost see the sheepish look on his face. "Sorry." He managed.

Someone else pulled me into their arms, much softer this time. I could tell from the delicate way the person held me that this was Kyra. I buried my face in what seemed like her collarbone. The sharp bone felt hard against my forehead. "What happened?" I said, my voice muffled by her shirt.

For the first time, I became aware of the fact that I was wearing goggles. I opened my eyes, but all I could see was black. I couldn't get myself to consider what had happened. It seemed way too unreal.

"The oxygen monitor malfunctioned. It cut off your supply. Are you feeling alright now?" she asked, her voice gentle. I nodded. I indeed felt much better than before. I pulled away. "Kyra, the operation…." I started. I couldn't make myself even ponder the possibility that the operation was successful.

"Ah, yes, that's where I would step in." I heard Ava Paige's voice. She sounded just as soft as Kyra, with a firm tone to her voice. "Aidan, we did our best, and we can only hope the results were as we wanted. You are currently wearing goggles, to ease the shock of what might have happened if you'd woken up to seeing everything. I can almost guarantee that the operation was successful, but we'll never know until you take the goggles off. So, son, here is the moment we've been waiting for. Take them off and see the world with your own eyes."

And there it was. The numb feeling again. My hands were shaking at my sides. Did I have the courage? I'd been blind since birth; did I really have it in me to see the world as it was? But I couldn't deny my curiosity. If Paige was right and the operation was successful…

My hands found their way to my eyes. I pulled off the goggles, but kept my eyes closed. I wasn't ready. Not yet. But once again, defying all instinct and smart counsel, I slowly cranked my eye-lids open.

For a moment, I felt nothing. Then, all around me, the world burst into colors. Blinding white, dazzling yellow and murderous red. I felt engulfed by the sheer brightness around me. It was like being sucked into a void of light. I clutched Kyra's hand tightly, trying to get a hold of myself, but wasn't able to. This was overwhelming. Everything seemed blended together. It was as though each color was in a competition with the other, fighting for my attention. They all wanted to be the brightest.

Oh, the irony. I had been blind to the world before, when all I saw was darkness. And now, that I saw light, that too blinded me. I blinked rapidly, hoping that everything would come into focus. The world couldn't possibly look like this, right? I found myself praying that the world looked better than this. It couldn't be so bright. But I refused to shut my eyes. I wasn't going to go back to darkness, no matter what it took me.

I ignored the cries around me. I ignored Kyra's pleas at acknowledging her. I simply wanted to see. Things had started becoming slightly less bright. It was again, very slow, but it was dimming nonetheless. My hand was holding Kyra's so tightly, I must've stopped the blood-circulation.

Then, gradually, everything cleared. I saw faces. Actual, human faces. They had larger eyes than I'd assumed. Where their lips would have been, two pink lines sat atop a pointed chin. They were moving rapidly, as though the people were speaking. Their noses protruded out from their faces. Well, at least something was the way I had imagined. I found myself whipping my head from side to side, taking everything in. Kyra, was she really so pretty? Her eyes, as she had told me, were green. So that's what green was. Her hair fell into her face, but she was looking at me with wide eyes. I turned towards where I thought Thomas' voice was coming from. Well, I had imagined boys looking like that. Short hair, which I'd heard from people, was brown. Concerned eyes of the same color. Cheeks turning a different shade. Was that blushing? Or was it excursion? Probably the latter.

"Aidan, what happened?" I heard Kyra's voice. "Did it work? Can you see?" I tried to respond, but the words wouldn't come out. I couldn't believe it. I could actually see. My eyes saw things other than complete darkness. I took in everything. Sight was the food for my starved mind. My eyes darted from one face to another hungrily, trying to make a painting of long lost colors.

I finally got myself to speak. "I… I can… I can see you Ky…" I managed. My voice was soft. Perhaps because I didn't believe what I was saying. Kyra's lips stretched themselves into what hoped was a grin. "Really!?" she cried. Once again, I felt myself being pulled into her arms. She rubbed the back of my head affectionately. I still had my eyes wide open.

I was actually seeing things. I was seeing the world as it was. Walls of a bright color. Strange-looking things that ended in a sharp point. People bustling around. I wanted to claw everything, wanted to snap a picture and keep it stored in my brain. I felt as though if I didn't see everything now, it would be gone the next moment. And then…

I laughed.

It was a sound of pure happiness, because that was what I felt. Happy. For once. Without missing my dead best friend. Without having to worry about the dangers of the world. Without lamenting the fact that others could peer at their surroundings while all I saw was a whole load of nothing. I was simply happy. I could finally see. The ability that I had been deprived of since birth. I could see.

My soft laughter soon blew into gales of guffaws. I clutched my stomach, trying to control myself. "Kyra, I can see!" I yelled. "I CAN SEE!" My voice reverberated around the room. Kyra kissed my cheek and laughed herself.

"Aidan." Paige's voice attempted to draw my attention towards her, but it failed. I was too elated to say anything. I simply laughed harder. I may have even sounded a little manic right then. "Aidan." Her voice was firmer this time. Something must've been important. I stopped and looked at her, my chest shaking silently with chuckles. She seemed to be wearing something the same color as the walls. She looked regal, yet firm. Her eyes were startling, but I couldn't tell the color. It matched the color of water. Was it blue?

"Yes?"

She smiled at me. "Aidan, I am very thankful for this. It is my belief that we have now cleared all debts we owed you. However, this wasn't the only reason we called you. There is something else. If you all feel up to it, please come right this way." She gestured towards what I assumed was a door. I had sharp edges and a cut-sharp shape. I looked at Thomas, who as beaming so wide, his cheeks seemed to be wanting to tear themselves off his face. Kyra answered her.

"We're ready. Danny, you alright? Can you walk?" she asked. I nodded. I felt perfectly fine… no. I felt more than fine. I had no words for how I felt.

The three of us followed Paige out the door, and walked down what I could only describe as a structure which was closed by two long walls. A hallway, perhaps. We stopped in front of another door, this one the same brown as Thomas' hair. Paige turned the circular doorknob that stuck out of the material, but before pushing the door open, she turned to us. "This may be a bit of a shocker. I'm sorry for throwing so many surprises at you, but I have a feeling you won't mind this one."

She opened the door.

It opened into a room much like the one I had been in. In it, stood a bed. In the bed, lay a girl. A young girl, by her looks. With short dark hair, a little darker than Kyra and Thomas'. Her eyes were closed. She seemed to be asleep; at peace. I had a vague sensation I should have known who she was, but of course, even if I had known her, I wouldn't have been able to recognize her. I was seeing everyone for the first time. I had only recognized Kyra and Thomas because of their voices. And this girl wasn't talking.

I turned to ask Kyra who she was, but was a little surprised by her expression. She looked like someone had just dropped a bomb on her. Her eyes were a little shiny; her mouth hung open. I heard someone sinking to their knees beside me, and looked to see Thomas down on the ground, his arms numb at his sides. A small, choked noise escaped his slightly parted lips.

This was way too much for me. I turned to Paige. "Who is she?" I asked. Kyra whipped around to look at me, as though I had said something heinous. "Look, I'm seeing everything for the first time. I don't know her." I said in my defense. Then Thomas decided to answer my question with one simple word. One simple word that pulled out the ground from under my feet.

"Lee…"

I went numb for the second time in one day. My ears filled with a buzzing noise I couldn't ignore. I wasn't sure I'd heard him correctly, but their expressions confirmed it. I could feel my jaw drop open. This wasn't possible. This couldn't be happening. My voice was trapped inside my throat. It tried to find a way out, but my shock shoved it right back down. "Is that really her?" Kyra asked, her voice small and squeakier than usual. I looked at Paige, unable to comprehend all that was happening. To my utter shock, Paige nodded.

"Yes child. That really is her. She's alive."

I was starting to blank out everything. The only solution was to keep talking. If I let the whole situation claim me, I might've just collapsed on spot. "How…?" So much for talking. My shock seemed intent on not letting my voice escape. Paige smiled.

"I understand this must be a lot to take in. But please, allow me to explain." She waved towards Lee. "Lee may be alive, but she can neither move, nor talk. Her body denies her any form of movement. You see, when the Griever's leg pierced her, it snapped her backbone, affecting her spinal cord. This ceased all her movements. In one word, she is paralyzed. Immobile. She can hear everything we say, her brain works normally. But she cannot move. Not even a small flick of a finger. We fixed her up the same way we did you, Aidan. We had barely reached on time, that day. She'd lost a lot of blood, but her heart beat very faintly. And we were able to save her life, but we lost her spirit somewhere that day."

Thomas looked at her with eyes that I could only describe were shattered. "Why didn't you tell us…?" He sounded betrayed. Paige smiled again. "My boy, that was Lee's wish. Yes, she wasn't able to talk. But we picked up her brain waves the same way we studied your killzones. That was how she communicated with us. And this is what she wanted. She wanted us to hide it from you that she was alive. And I'm afraid we didn't have the heart to refuse her."

This day just kept throwing surprises after surprises at us. First the letter, then the operation, and now this. I couldn't describe the feeling in my chest. It was more than elation. If I'd felt happy when I had gotten my eyes, this was tripled that amount. My brain was a little fuzzy, unable to comprehend what was happening. I was simply soaking in the fact that Lee was alive. Sure, she was paralyzed and unable to move. But she was alive all the same.

"And let me tell you, that wasn't the only decision she made." Paige put in. Oh boy, here came another bomb. Unfortunately, this one wasn't quite as happy as the other ones.

"Who do you think gave you those eyes, Aidan?"

Silence. One could've heard the flap of a dragonfly's wing. I opened my mouth and shut it. Suddenly, it felt as though the world around me was spinning. I broke out a cold sweat. My hands were shaking. I staggered, but Kyra was there to support me. She seemed as shell-shocked as I was. I managed to choke out a complete sentence, but it was one I didn't want to believe. "Lee gave me her _eyes_?"

Paige nodded, confirming my worst suspicions. "She knew she had no use for them. She wasn't able to respond to anything as it was. She had made up her mind. She wouldn't listen to anything to the contrary. She wanted her best friend to have a chance to see the world. Her exact thoughts were 'I want Aidan to know what the sun looks like'. This is what she wanted for you, Aidan. She wanted you to see. She wanted to give you the gift you were born without."

I felt weak. My knees threatened to give away, and had Kyra not been supporting me, I'm sure they would have. Thomas seemed frozen by what he was hearing. I looked at the sleeping girl on the bed. My best friend. Lee. Her cheeks slightly puffy. Her lips turned upwards in the slightest, as though the ghost of the last smile she'd ever given us was still frozen on her face. Her eyes were closed, and now I knew the reason. Somehow, I didn't feel quite so elated by my vision anymore. I was literally seeing through Lee's eyes. I knew Lee could go to lengths for me; heck, she'd even almost sacrificed herself to save me from a Griever. But this. This was way too much. I simply couldn't believe that Lee had given me her very eyes.

"The letter…" Thomas said, his voice strangely monotonous. He stared straight ahead, at Lee's bed. He was still on the floor, and his knees seemed feeble. "Yes, Thomas. We picked up on Lee's thoughts and she told us what to write in the letter. Nobody knows why she wanted us to write the letter, but like before, we didn't refuse her. And I'm afraid we'll never know the reason. Lee ordered us to leave her thoughts alone after she donated her eyes."

The room was silent. The only sound that could be heard was my ragged breathing. I still couldn't wrap my mind around it. Not only did I have sight, but it was through the very eyes of my best friend, who was alive. "Aidan, I know what you feel. However, this was Lee's wish, and I feel that the least you all can do is honor it." Paige said.

Thomas stood up, startling everyone. He wiped the tears from his eyes. He looked at Lee with an expression which I could only describe as love. It reminded me of the way Kyra had looked at me when I'd first seen her face, mere minutes ago. Thomas walked over to Lee's bed and brushed her hair out of her face. A small smile appeared on his lips. In a soft tone, he began humming something. It was soothing and tranquil. Thomas may have not been the most talented singer, but the melody was made beautiful by the love it held. The love of a brother for his sister. He stopped the music and bent down to kiss Lee's forehead. He reached out and took her hand, then turned to Paige.

"We're taking her back to Paradise." He said. His voice was firmer than I expected. He wasn't going to take no for an answer. Fortunately, Paige didn't give us that. She smiled and nodded. "Yes, you absolutely may. Lee's wheelchair is in that corner." She pointed to a chair which was mounted on two wheels.

I turned to Kyra. She looked at me with a strange expression. "Aidan… we have to honor her. This is what she wanted for you." She said softly. I took a deep breath. I looked at Lee once more, and felt my features lifting in a smile. "Lee, you whimsical little shuck-face." I said. Thomas laughed, and the atmosphere flipped into one of mirth and joy. We had Lee again. Sure, she wouldn't respond to anything, but it was her all the same.

And for now, that was all that mattered.

~.~.~.~.~.

"Pushing this thing is hard." I complained. "You hear that Lee? I'm working my butt off to give you a tour of this place. Just pretend you know everything, okay? It's your eyes anyway, that is seeing everything." Of course, I got no response from Lee, but I couldn't help but laugh. It felt incredible to just be with her again.

We'd come back to Paradise a few hours earlier. Minho and Newt had shown similar reactions to ours when we strolled in with me having perfect eyesight and Lee alive in a wheelchair. Minho had in fact sprayed out the water he had been drinking, and Newt had literally collapsed into a chair. We'd had a good laugh about their situation, but after explaining everything, they simply shook their heads and concluded this day to be the strangest ever. Well, I couldn't agree more on that.

Lee's parents were out of the house for a week, and we decided to wait until they came back. Mars Almighty, were they in for a surprise. I smirked at the thought of it.

I had taken it upon myself to be wheeling Lee around the plush garden that surrounded our house. In a distance, I could see Newt, Minho, Thomas and Kyra sitting under a tree, playing cards. I had been given a brief introduction of colors. The grass was green. The night sky was black. Water was blue. The works.

The day had completed an entire cycle during our time in WICKED headquarters, and it was nighttime again. I gazed up at the stars which decorated the sky in such beautiful patterns. They twinkled, and I found myself fascinated by their light. I decided this was my favorite thing to look at. Tearing my eyes away from the sky, I bent down in front of Lee, kneeling, so I reached her eye-level. Her eyes were closed, but I knew she could hear me. I held her hand.

"You know, Lee, you thanked me for an awful lot of things in that letter of yours. Being a friend, putting up with you, and whatnot. I suppose I do deserve some credit for doing those things. But now, it's my turn." I said. I smiled at her. I wished she would open her eyes and acknowledge me, but I would have to deal with this. In fact, I didn't mind, as long as she was still with me.

"So, thank you, Lee, for throwing yourself in front of a Griever to save my sorry butt. Thank you Lee, for running into the Maze so that I could live for another day. Thank you Lee for giving me the best friend someone could ever want. Thank you Lee, for still being alive. But most of all…" I smiled wider and squeezed her hand. I had my best friend back. My sister. The annoying bugger who'd annoy the mickey out of me with her snarky comebacks. The person who'd given her life so that I could live. When I said the next words, my voice was softer than I'd expected.

"Thank you for giving me the chance to see the world."

~.~.~.~.

 **A/N: Aw, man, I almost cried while writing this. I love these characters so freaking much, I can't even say. They're just… GAH!**

 **And yes, I did just bring Lee back. I want some cookies. Anyone gonna give me some? Oh come on, don't I get something?**

 **Lol, kidding. Y'all give me the best prize by simply reading this. That's more than I could ask for. I know, I know. I'm evil for making her paralyzed, but I felt this was a justified way of bringing her back. I love Lee and Aidan so much, I simply couldn't live with myself, killing them. So tada! Man, I seriously hope you guys liked it. I enjoyed writing this a LOT. It was the best de-stressor during these exams. Please tell me how you liked it! I love hearing your thoughts!**

 **So, I guess it's goodbye. For now.**

 **A Fellow Glader.**


	3. Chapter 3

Aidan shifted restlessly in his seat. The door cut him off from the rest of the household, but he was used to it. His eyes were sunken, his hair was disheveled and his face was paler than usual. This was probably what came of sleep deprivation. But he didn't care. He could only stare at the expressionless face of his best friend, hoping, praying for some movement.

They'd accepted the fact that Lee would never be able to move again. WICKED had told them about her paralysis. Aidan still couldn't believe she'd given him her eyes, but he couldn't have been more grateful. But he wasn't crazy, sitting here beside Lee's bed, hoping for some movement from a paralyzed person.

It had happened a month ago. Lee's situation had suddenly become worse. High fever, shivering, sweating, and whatnot. They'd admitted her to the hospital in Paradise. All they wanted was for her to be cured of the fever. They got so much more.

The doctor, out of sheer curiosity, had checked her spinal cord and backbone. And he'd told them something that was elixir to their ears.

According to him, Lee had scope for being cured of her paralysis.

Lee's backbone had been broken just above her tailbone, which confirmed the fact that she would never be able to walk. However, given some time, she had the slightest chance of being able to perform upper body movement. She was slowly healing.

Every day Aidan would stare at her. Every time the sheet moved, his spirits would soar. Every time there was even the slightest movement around him, he would start and look at Lee.

But he saw nothing.

Lee made no sign of being able to move. Not even the tiny flick of her finger. Nowadays they kept her here because they wanted her to heal. For an entire month, Lee had been lying in this bed. And Aidan hadn't left her bedside.

He slept with his head resting on the side of her bed, the meager hours he did. He ate in the room; he always had his food brought to him. He hadn't seen the green grass of their garden in a while now. All he knew was the beige-walled room and the white bedsheet that Lee lay on.

He reached out and took her hand. Bending his head low, he squeezed hard. "Lee…" His voice broke. He didn't want to cry, but he couldn't help it. The tears dripped down his cheeks and slowly dropped onto the bed sheet, creating a tiny puddle before being absorbed. "Lee, please. Please just come back. I know you can hear me. Please…"

He touched his forehead to her hand, his chest shaking with his sobs. "You finally came back, but like this? I know you can do this, Lee. Just show some movement. A flick of a finger. A squeeze of my hand. Please, something, anything. Please don't leave me…"

He shut his eyes tight. There was nothing. He felt absolutely nothing from Lee. A month had gone past, and she still made no movement. Aidan had refused to give up, but now he was losing hope. He simply couldn't believe that Lee would stay like this forever. He missed her voice. Her jokes. The way she made everyone laugh. He missed his best friend.

It seemed like Fate liked torturing them. They'd gotten Lee back, but they'd lost her. When they got the tiny hope of having her completely return, even that seemed to be crushed with every day that passed. Aidan's sobs were the result of endless sleepless nights and streams of prayers. He just wanted his best friend back. Was that too much to ask for?

He sat upright. Using his other hand, he wiped away his tears. He looked at Lee with a hard expression. "I'm not allowing this. You have to come back, Lee. And I know you will."

His throat was parched and dry from crying. He needed water. He eyed the glass that stood on the bedside table. He squeezed Lee's hand once more, and got up to get the glass.

And froze.

Because for the first time in months, Lee had squeezed his hand back.

~.~.~.~.

They weren't perfect. They were as far from perfect as possible. Kyra gazed at the two fourteen-year-olds playing in the meadow. The green-eyed boy who couldn't stop laughing. The blind girl, who wouldn't stop cracking jokes. The boy wheeled her around on a wheelchair, but being immobile didn't stop the girl from being snarky.

It had been two months since Lee had first shown some movement. Aidan had just about collapsed from elation that day. About seven week later, Lee had been able to start talking. And about a week ago, they'd let her out.

She was doomed to the wheelchair, but she made up for it by talking non-stop. She could no longer see the world, but now, Aidan took it upon himself to show it to her. They would go out every day onto the meadow, and Aidan would describe the flowers and scenery to her. Kyra, Newt, Thomas and Minho would sit watching them. Watching the two kids play around without a care in the world brought happiness to their hearts.

Kyra still couldn't believe that Lee had finally come back to them. They'd lost hope of ever having her back, but that day, hope had returned. Lee had been completely cured of her upper body paralysis merely weeks later. Now, her voice was always present in the background. Her jokes made everyone laugh all day. Her wheelchair was barely a limitation. They finally had their Lee back.

Sure, Lee would never be able to walk. But she could talk and function like a normal human being. Sure, she would never be able to see. But Aidan was her eyes. Sure she was stuck forever in a wheelchair. But her jokes and humor carried her better than her two feet could.

Kyra reached over and took Newt's hand. He smiled at her. She looked back at her brother, who was currently trying to place a butterfly on Lee's head. Lee was trying to guess in vain what he was doing. And the two were laughing their heads off. She couldn't help but smile wider.

Sure, they weren't perfect.

But they were happy.

And that was all that mattered.

~.~.~.~.

 **A/N: THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A ONE-SHOT. BUT YOU GUYS ARE JUST WAY TOO AWESOME!**

 **I knew it. I knew this was gonna happen. I wasn't ever going to bring Lee back. But you guys are just so awesome, I couldn't help it. I hope this chapter was good enough. I simply can't repay y'all for all the support you've given me. I'll never forget this story, Aidan, Lee, Kyra even Ross (poor Ross) and most of all, you guys. I wanted people to know Aidan's story. And I'm happy. So this is a final goodbye. Darkness is finally over. But it'll never leave my heart.**

 **Hope you guys liked this. This is me signing off, from this story, for good. Hope I meet you guys in some other story of mine. Thank you so much for reading :')**

 **A Fellow Glader.**


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